128 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



black blue-edo-ed ocellus on the opercles, a blue line along tlic dorsal and anal fins -wbicli, as well as tbe caudal, 

 have a lio-ht edo-e : blue spots on soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins. Eed Sea, through those of India to the 

 Malay Archijjelago. 



1. Plesiops nigricans, Plate XXXI, fig. 5. 



Plmropteryx nigncans, Rupp. Atl. p. lo, t. iv, f. 2, and N. W. Fische, p. 5. 



Plesiops ccendeo-Uneatus, Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 5, t. ii, f. 5 ; Sleeker, Amboina, iii, p. IIC ; Giinther, 

 Catal. iii, p. 363. 



FJvslops melas, Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxii, Bali, p. 9. 



I'hsiops coralUcola, (K. and v. H.) Bleeker, Sumatra, ii, p. 280; Gunther, Catal. iii, p. 364; Day, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 685 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 214. 



Fleslops nirjricans, Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 363; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 18^, p. 517. 



B. vi, D. J.l, P. 21, V. 1/4, A. f, C. 16, L. 1. 23-28, L. tr. 21/10. 



Length of head from 4/15 to 1/4, of pectoral 2/11, of caudal 2/9, height of body 2/9 of the total length. 

 Eyes— diameter 1/4 to 1/5 of length of head, 3/4 to 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. Snout obtuse. 

 The ma.xilla reaches to behind the posterior edge of the orbit. Tee^/i— vUUform in the jaws, vomer and 

 palatines, none on the tongue, the outer row of teeth in the upper jaw are usually slightly enlarged. Fins— 

 dorsal spines much shorter than the rays, the iuterspinous membrane (which extends beyond the tips of each 

 spine) deeply emarginate, soft portion of the fin and also of the anal pointed : two outer ventral rays elongated : 

 third anal spine the longest : caudal pointed. Sca/es— finely ctenoid in the last half of the body. Colours— 

 brownish, each scale on the body with a blue centa-e, some of those on the shoulder and head with several blue 

 spots. Opercle with a large black blue-edged ocellus. A blue band along the dorsal and anal fins : dorsal, 

 caudal and anal with a white margin : soft dorsal and anal with blue streaks in the du-ection of the rays, they 

 are also present on the caudal but in the form of ti-ansverse blotches. 



Eahitat.— 'From, the Red Sea, through those of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. It is very 

 common at the Andaman islands, attaining at least 6 inches in length. 



Second group — Nandina. 



Pseudobranchise concealed or absent : palatine and vomerine teeth : ventral with five rays. 



Genus, 2 — Badis, Bleeker. 



Branchiostegals six : pseudohrancliim apparently absent. Eyes lateral. Month protractile. Opercle ivith one 

 sharp spine, none of the other hones of the head armed. Villiform. teeth on the jaws, vomer and palatines, absent 

 from the tongue. A single dorsal fin, the spinous portion being of much greater extent than that of the soft: anal 

 with three spines, its rayed portion similar to that of the dorsal. Scales ctenoid, of moderate size. Lateral-line 

 interrupted or absent. Air-vessel large and simple. Pyloric appendages absent. 



Geographical distribution. — Fresh waters of the hUls and plains of India and Burma. 



Hamilton Buchanan observed of his two species of Badis, that "the two following species I refer to the 

 genus Lahrus, although their almost total want of teeth would perhaps require theii- forming a distinct genus. 

 Notwithstanding the form of their taU fins, they approach nearer the Lahrus malapterus of Bloch, {Ichth. t. ix, 

 p. 26, pi. 296, f. 2) than to any other fish described by that author," p. 70. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Badis Buchanan!, D. ifrf', A. -j'y, L. 1. 2(3-32 interrupted. Purplish and banded, or irregularly 

 spotted or blotched. Fresh waters of India and Burma. 



2. Badis dario, D. y, A. f, L. 1. 26-30 absent. Stone colour, with several dark vertical belts, most being 

 in the posterior half of the body. Bengal, Behar and Western ghauts. 



1. Badis Buchanani, Plate XXXI, fig. 6. 



Labrus badis. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 70, 368, pi. 25, fig. 23. 



Badis Buchanani, Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxv, t. 2, f. 3 ; Giinther, Catal. in, p. 367. 



Kala-poo-ti-ah and Chiri, Punj. : Kundala and Ka-sundara, Tel. : Eahlee-poee and Bundei, Ooriah: Nabat 

 and Ban-doh-nee, Assam. : Pin-lay-nga-ba-mah and Nga-mee-loimg, Bui-m. 



B. vi, D. if:fj, P. 12, V. 1/5, A. ^'^, C. 16, L. 1. 26-32, L. tr. 2|/8. 



Length of head 2/9 to 1/5, of pectoral 1/5, of caudal 2/9, height of body 2| to 2/9, in the jariety figured, 

 in the total length. Form of body an elongated oval, sides compressed, i^z/es— diameter 3f (3/11) of the 

 length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. The maxilla reaches to below the front edge 

 of the orbit : lower jaw slightly the longer. Teef/i— viUiform in jaws, vomer and palatines, also on pre-sphenoid 

 and epi-hyal. Fins— sjiines somewhat slender, the soft portion of the fin rather elevated and pointed : anal 

 spines short, its soft, portion similar to that of the dorsal : caudal pointed. Variations, as in other Acanthopte- 

 rygian fresh-water fishes, exist in the number of spines and rays ; in Bengal and Madi-as the formula is generally 

 D. 'f:;-', A. -B-^y, L. 1. 20-28, but in Assam and Barma it is mostly as follows: D. V'tV> A. f, L. 1. 28-33. 



